The single bench of Justice RR Prasad acquitted the two due to lack of evidence submitted by the Vigilance Bureau.

Koda and Sinha moved the high court after a lower court framed charges against them in connection with the case, which was registered in 2010 charging them with influencing the state pollution control board in illegally issuing no objection certificates to crusher units when Koda was chief minister between 2006 and 2008.

The two will, however, remain in judicial custody in connection with other cases pertaining to mining, illegal investments and money laundering.